The Glide Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Glide in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Glide
The Insider’s Guide
AI builder that turns spreadsheets into internal business apps
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI app builders, read from Glide’s own pages.
Made by Glide (typeguard, Inc.) · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Glide’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Glide’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 8 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade
Glide builds internal business apps from a spreadsheet, a prompt or a file. Its current platform, GlideOS, uses a chat-based agent to create apps, the data tables behind them and automated workflows inside shared projects, and the apps run on desktop and mobile browsers. GlideOS is sold separately from Glide Classic, the company's original no-code builder, and is metered in monthly credits.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Glide, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You start from a spreadsheet you already have and ask for changes in chat.
- 1
Best for turning a spreadsheet into an internal app
Glide turns a spreadsheet into an internal app: upload the sheet and its agent proposes the screens and workflows, and several apps can share the same live data.
- 2
Paid plans start at $25 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $25 per month (Basic).
- 3
You can try it first
Free plan with a limited credit allowance that does not reset or renew; apps cannot be published on it
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Spreadsheet-to-app building
Upload a spreadsheet or file and GlideOS reads its structure, data and logic, then proposes the screens and workflows for an app built on it.
- 6
Chat-based editing
Changes are requested in chat. You can highlight a page, a component or a piece of text and prompt for a change to that element alone.
- 7
Shared project data
Apps in a project read and write the same live tables, which can come from Google Sheets, uploaded Excel or CSV files, or tables GlideOS creates.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 8 of 26
That is against the other AI app builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Glide you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Glide at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $25 per month (Basic)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free plan with a limited credit allowance that does not reset or renew; apps cannot be published on it
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Glide (typeguard, Inc.)
- Category
- AI App Builders
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for turning a spreadsheet into an internal app
Glide turns a spreadsheet into an internal app: upload the sheet and its agent proposes the screens and workflows, and several apps can share the same live data. But the free credits never renew and can't publish anything, Basic is $25 a month for 2 people and 2 apps, a public app needs Plus from $50, and the apps run in browsers only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Basic is $25 a month, the line where the dearest quarter of builders here begins, and it's a thin plan: 100 credits, 2 team members, 2 published apps, 1 workflow. An app the public can open needs Plus at $50. Unlimited apps, premium integrations and MCP need Pro from $125, six times the $19 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The Free plan's credits are limited and never reset, and with it you can't publish an app or switch on a single workflow. A trial in all but name, then, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is wanted. Two team members and 10 projects, for what that's worth. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job for internal apps: upload a spreadsheet and it reads the structure, then proposes screens and workflows; apps in a project share live tables; routines run on a schedule, a webhook or on demand; and the directory lists 1,000+ integrations. The apps run in browsers only, so no A. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record. You start from a spreadsheet you already have and ask for changes in chat. Highlight one component and you can prompt for a change to that alone. Modeling the tables behind it is the real work. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app, and what it builds runs in desktop and mobile browsers rather than as native apps. Nothing of its own on desktop or phone. It connects to Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Salesforce, Slack, QuickBooks, PostgreSQL and Snowflake, with an MCP server on Pro. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Glide is for
- Fits if your operations team runs on spreadsheets and wants an app on top
- Works for inventory, work order or vendor apps that share one set of live data
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're a team, since Basic covers 2 people, Plus 3, and Pro starts at $125 a month
- Not for you if you want to publish anything on the Free plan, because you can't, and its credits never renew
- Skip it if you're on Glide Classic and expect this included, as GlideOS is a separate subscription
- Tight if you need public apps or more than 1 workflow, since both start on Plus, from $50 a month
- Watch out: the apps run in browsers rather than as native apps, and single sign-on needs Enterprise
Good to know
Good for
- Operations teams whose processes currently live in spreadsheets
- Internal tools such as inventory, work order and vendor management apps
- Teams that want several apps sharing one set of live data
Worth knowing
- Free plan credits do not renew, and apps cannot be published without a paid plan.
- GlideOS needs its own subscription and cannot be reached through Glide Classic, which has separate plans.
- Monthly credits reset each billing cycle; extra credits are sold on paid plans only and last 12 months.
- Basic covers 2 team members and Plus 3; public apps need Plus, and single sign-on needs Enterprise.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$25
A month to start
Glide is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $25 per month (Basic).
The Free plan's credits are limited and never reset, and with it you can't publish an app or switch on a single workflow.
Free
$0
A limited, non-renewing credit allowance, 2 team members and 10 projects. No published apps and no enabled workflows.
Basic
$25
per month
100 credits a month, 2 team members, 2 published apps, 1 enabled workflow and a choice of agent mode.
Plus
From $50
per month
250 credits a month at the entry tier, with tiers up to 10,000. 3 team members, 5 published apps, 20 projects, 5 workflows and public apps.
Pro
From $125
per month
500 credits and 5 members at the entry tier, with 50 credits per added member. Unlimited published apps and workflows, premium integrations and MCP.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom team size, single sign-on, enterprise integrations, a choice of LLM provider, 30-day data backups and a dedicated success manager.
Trying it first
Free plan with a limited credit allowance that does not reset or renew; apps cannot be published on it
Read from glideapps.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI builder that turns spreadsheets into internal business apps. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, workflow automation, AI agents, app builder, no-code.
A web app, and what it builds runs in desktop and mobile browsers rather than as native apps.
- Spreadsheet-to-app building
- Upload a spreadsheet or file and GlideOS reads its structure, data and logic, then proposes the screens and workflows for an app built on it.
- Chat-based editing
- Changes are requested in chat. You can highlight a page, a component or a piece of text and prompt for a change to that element alone.
- Shared project data
- Apps in a project read and write the same live tables, which can come from Google Sheets, uploaded Excel or CSV files, or tables GlideOS creates.
- Workflows
- Automated routines run on a schedule, from a webhook or on demand, using the same data as the apps. Basic allows 1 enabled workflow and Plus 5.
- Integrations
- The integrations directory lists more than 1,000 services, including Gmail, Slack, Airtable and Salesforce. Premium integrations need the Pro plan.
- Bring your own agent
- On Pro, an MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other clients build and deploy apps on Glide, which supplies hosting, data and permissions.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Sheets
- Excel
- Airtable
- Salesforce
- Slack
- QuickBooks
- PostgreSQL
- Snowflake
Glide is made by Glide (typeguard, Inc.).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/26
Other AI app builders it is graded above
Glide's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on features (B, above 15 of 26) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 20 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 27 AI app builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Glide’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 26
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 26
- BFeaturesAbove 15 of 26
- BEase of useAbove 7 of 26
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 4 of 26
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 27 AI app builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Glide is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Glide you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 12 of the 26 other AI app builders grade higher. It costs $300 a year.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- A builder that other people can use without writing code.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Glide’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Softr, Bubble, Base44, Lovable and Adalo
The 5 tools Glide is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Softr
Free plan · from $19/mo
No-code builder for client portals and internal tools, with AI.
- Softr has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Glide also covers AI agents.
- Softr also covers databases and forms.
- 2.2GPA
Bubble
Free plan · from $29/mo
No-code visual builder for web and native mobile apps, with AI.
- Bubble has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Glide also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.8GPA
Base44
Free plan · from $16/mo
No-code AI builder with a database, login and hosting included.
- Base44 has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Base44 lists iOS and Android apps.
- Glide also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.8GPA
Lovable
Free plan · from $21/mo
Chat-based AI builder for full-stack web apps and websites.
- Lovable has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Lovable lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Glide also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.2GPA
Adalo
Free plan · from $36/mo
No-code builder for native iOS, Android and web apps, with AI.
- Adalo has a free plan. Glide does not, though it has a free trial.
- Glide also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- Adalo also covers databases.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Glide free?
No, Glide is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free plan with a limited credit allowance that does not reset or renew; apps cannot be published on it.
How much does Glide cost?
Glide lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Glide work on?
Glide is available on Web.
Does Glide have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Glide is listed for Web.
Does Glide have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Glide is listed for Web.
Is Glide open source?
Glide is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Glide integrate with?
Glide's listing names Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Salesforce, Slack, QuickBooks, PostgreSQL and Snowflake.
Who makes Glide?
Glide is made by Glide (typeguard, Inc.).
What are the alternatives to Glide?
The closest alternatives to Glide in our directory are Softr, Bubble, Base44, Lovable and Adalo.
How does Glide compare with other AI app builders?
Glide's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 26 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 6.
Is Glide good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Glide D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 20 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Glide?
To replace Glide you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Glide’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Glide's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-16.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Glide (typeguard, Inc.). Prices change, so check glideapps.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Glide, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/glide
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Glide: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/glide
Know someone choosing between AI app builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/glide/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI app builders after Glide, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI App Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 27 AI app builders we grade, compared
- Taskade Insider's GuideWorkspace that builds apps, AI agents and automations from prompts3.2 GPA
- Replit Insider's GuideCloud platform where an AI agent builds, hosts and publishes apps3.0 GPA
- Base44 Insider's GuideNo-code AI builder with a database, login and hosting included2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Glide’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Glide is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Glide (typeguard, Inc.). Prices and plans change: check glideapps.com before you buy.